Tabi'atstani occupation of the TBRE
The Tabi'atstani Occupation of the Teddy Bear Republic Empire was a direct outcome of the TBRE's invasion of Tabi'atstan during the Second World War. Following the immediate military occupation, there was a TBRE rump state under Tabi'atstani influence, before the subsequent creation of its successor state, the Teddy Soviet Socialist Republic, which encompassed most of former TBRE territory. Background Along with other Laltofian countries such as Bordoris, the TBRE was involved in the invasion of Tabi'atstan. Despite Laltofian forces occupying Krakozhia and sieging Qal'eh Manar, the tide had begun to turn against them in 1942. Although the Bordorians were able to prevent an invasion of their country, cumulative harassment of the TBRE's logistical forces weakened the TBRE's defense, resulting in a Tabi'atstan victory over the provinces of Toylando, Grenatia and Nordwerbaren, although Nordica would remain independent until the end of the occupation. On 16th July 1944, the Treaty of Rouzab was signed, effectively ending the Second World War for the TBRE. It stated that the TBRE would recognize it started a war of aggression against Tabi'atstan, the TBRE would follow a socialist stance, TR$255 billion would be paid in reparations, and that military forces would be limited to 150,000 personnel with no significant naval forces or air force. Early occupation Initially, the TBRE was under the control of Tabi'atstani military forces. However, under the terms of the treaty, the TBRE as a country was allowed to continue, albeit as a rump state under significant Tabi'atstani influence. The President of the TBRE's upper house, Hugo Raimund, formed a government with a mixture of Pro-Tabi'astan legislators and those who had chosen to remain behind. The new government was thus plagued with internal conflicts when legislators with different aims clashed. Eventually, although theoretically the basic structure of the TBRE remained the same, the judiciary's independent powers were curbed, local police forces were brought into the National Police under the control of Tabi'atstani military forces, and national elections for the legislature and the Royal President were postponed. Creation of the TSSR In addition to the systematic stripping of the TBRE's natural resources for transport back to mainland Tabi'atstan, there was rampant looting by Tabi'atstani forces, which was unofficially sanctioned by the mainland government. The formation of Teddy militia groups in response worried the Tabi'astani government, which feared a second war. Additionally, some legislators had started to try and curb mainland influence, and these activities were further emboldened when President Raimund gave his implicit support. When President Raimund refused to suspend the Constitution of the TBRE, the Tabi'stani government accused him and supportive legislators of fostering instability and damaging the post-war reconstructive process. They removed him from power, dissolved the TBRE, and set up the Teddy Soviet Socialist Republic (TSSR) in its place on 7th September 1944. A new Constitution was drafted and rushed through by the Tabi'astani Politburo, with the new political structure following that of the mainland. With no suitable Teddy candidate to replace Raimund, the hardliner Yekaterina Balashova was appointed acting-Chairman under emergency legislation from the Tabi'atstani Politburo. Teddy Soviet Socialist Republic Balashova's first act was to declare martial law and give herself emergency powers, purging members of the old government and their families by sending them to the Vladizapad Gulag Camp. She also asked the Tabi'astani government for an increase in occupation troops to fight the militias. Moreover, she further diverted Teddy workers from the reconstruction of the TBRE to the task of stripping it of resources to fund the Tabi'astani rearmament process, with the hope of eliminating the government-in-exile, based in Nordica. However, Balashova was forced to aid Teddy reconstruction when pre-war infrastructure proved to be too damaged to transport goods back to Tabi'astan. She passed decrees in which priority was given to the rebuilding of the railways, then to the Teddy light industry which were in a better condition than those on the mainland, with the aim of using them to manufacture goods to export back without the need to wait for native facilities to be rebuilt. The former Teddy colonies of Rutha, Penlipo and Mar Entrada; which were geographically part of Loiwik, had been handed over to the latter following an agreement by Tabi'atstan and the United States, which was Loiwik's ally. In early 1945, with the Teddy militias becoming increasingly effective having decided to unite, Balashova placed sympathetic pro-Tabi'astan Teddies in puppet positions to create the illusion of home rule. Simultaneously, she pushed for the "Socialisation" of the TBRE, by removing references to Laltofian culture and encouraging "secular" socialist practices, such as changing public holidays to reflect significant events in Communist history. With the National Police under the control of the Tabi'astani military, Balashova charged its Seventh and Eight Directorate with eliminating "internal resistance to the popular movement", in effect turning them into a secret political police force. Resistance to occupation Teddy militias were created in response to the looting of Teddy communities by occupation forces. They had a number of competing aims, varying from supporting the reinstatement of the TBRE, the creation of a right-wing state modeled after Bordoris, a federation of Laltofian states, or the return of independent Teddy states. However, it was recognized that pro-TBRE militias were by far the majority in terms of areas controlled and members. The Three Claw Agreement reached by Teddy militias in late 1944 set aside political differences to fight occupation forces. Additionally, Bordoris began to covertly support Teddy militias by supplying them arms. As Teddy militias were able to control larger coastal areas, they were also able to deliver heavier weapons, culminating in the donation of thirty tank destroyers. There was also significant resistance within the new government, the most famous probably the controversial case of Commissioner Donotso of the local police force in Toyland, who was appointed Deputy Chief of the new National Police, including its political divisions, under a Tabi'astani official. Additionally, early in the occupation, there were legislators who had stayed behind and were often critics of the new regime. End of the occupation By mid-1945, the Tabi'astani government considered the TSSR too cost-prohibitive. Teddy militias had been wiped out in urban centres, yet continued to operate with impunity in rural areas, and significant Tabi'astani military forces had to be diverted from protecting the mainland though the Cold War had started in earnest. Moreover, there were virtually no more Teddy natural resources to ship back to Tabi'astan owing to its extensive stripping, and the process of rebuilding the TSSR was seen as frivolous when no native Tabi'astanis lived there and large parts of Tabi'astan itself needed to be rebuilt. In the summer of 1945, the Tabi'astani government began to develop plans to leave the TSSR, believing that the removal of a common enemy would lead to the rival Teddy militias to fight amongst themselves and a weakened Teddy state without requiring Tabi'astani intervention. Balashova was strongly against the proposal, arguing that the stationing of Tabi'astani troops in the TSSR allowed it to act as a buffer zone against hostile southern neighbors. However, she was outvoted by the Politburo. On 28th September 1945, Tabi'astani forces were ordered to take anything of value and to begin a general withdrawal back to Tabi'astan, with Teddy militias and the government-in-exile caught by surprise at this seemingly sudden move. This occured over the period of a week, with most troops having left on 5th October 1945, when the TSSR was formally dissolved, without any description of a successor state. Consequences The TSSR was in an anarchic state for several days as people slowly realized that the occupation had ended, although social unrest was kept to a minimum. Rudolf Chester, a former legislator and the senior political leader of the Teddy militias, returned to the capital city of Toyland and declared the return of the TBRE and its original constitution. Pre-war members of the Beige House were asked to return, and he was elected as Royal President in an emergency session, although half its members were missing due to the purges. He planned for elections a month later and declared martial law (this time under the TBRE Constitution), while the government reorganized itself, mostly through getting those in exile, prison and labor camps back in their former positions, with most people multitasking to cover for those lost. Martial law was lifted several months later. Rudolph Chester was still re-elected Royal President, and began to plan for constitutional reform which eventually led to the Second TBRE Constitution. He also disbanded the Teddy militias, encouraging them to instead join the newly founded, civilian-controlled, quasi-military force, created out of the old National Police. Historical analysis of the occupation have led some to conclude that the Occupation led to new levels of unity among the Teddies, who had been previously concerned with pre-TBRE regional loyalties, as well as to the creation of a more mature government founded on the principles of consociationalism, as opposed to rule by a strongman. The clauses in the Treaty of Rouzab concerning the TBRE's following a socialist stance and the military limits were dropped in 1951, and the reparations were paid off in 1995. However, the clause concerning the TBRE's involvement in a war of aggression still remains. Category:TBRE Category:Tabi'atstan Category:History of the TBRE